BEIJING, September 4. /TASS/. Beijing is firmly committed to peaceful methods of resolving the situation on the Korean Peninsula and rejects any steps aimed at exerting military pressure on North Korea, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said at a briefing on Monday.
When asked if the Chinese People’s Liberation Army could invade North Korea in case the conflict escalated, he said that "it is a hypothetical question which it is hard to answer." "However, we have said many times before that military methods are not on the list of means that China uses to resolve the situation [on the Korean Peninsula]," the Chinese diplomat added.
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Geng Shuang pointed out that the global community’s response to the sixth nuclear test conducted by Pyongyang was unequivocal - despite the issue being highly complicated, it should only be resolved peacefully.
On September 3, North Korea announced a successful test of a hydrogen bomb that is capable of being used as a warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile. The test provoked a tough response from the global community, as China condemned Pyongyang’s actions, while South Korea and the United States said that a military response was also possible. Russia’s Foreign Ministry called on all parties to immediately resume dialogue and negotiations saying that it was the only way to find a comprehensive solution to the Korean Peninsula issues.